Pressing machine



J. TEDFORD PRESSING MACHINE Filed' March 18 1924 WITNESSES INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 27,

UNITE-D STATES JOSHUA TEDFOBD,`F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

raEssINe MACHINE.

Application led March 18, 1.924. Serial No. 700,079.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOSHUA TEDFORD, a citizen of the United States, and resident' of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pressing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in pressing machines, and itconsists in the l0 combinations, constructions andarrangements herein described and claimed. v A

An object of the invention is to ohviate f vthe wrinkling, kinking and constriction of tapering trousers legs near the lowerv ends l5 thereof when the trousers legs are pressed.

To this end, the invention contemplates the provision in pressing machines of generally ordinary construction of means affording facilities for stretching the -tapering" Z0 lower end portions of .trousers legs at the time the trousers legs are pressed, the stretched portions of the trousers legs being uniform in width and extending from the lower ends of the. legs a-distance sufficient to preclude wrinkling, kinking or constricion of the lower end `portion of the trousers egs. f

A further object of the., invention is to provide a device of the character described i0 which is particularly well adapted for use in the pressing of tapering trousers legs having the lower end portions thereof turned back to provide cuffs, the attachment being adapted to effect stretching ofathe cuff' portions of the trousers .and for holding the cuff' portions against slipping on the overlapped portions of the trousers legs at the time pressure is applied thereon, whereby the pressed cuff will be uniform in length 40 and constriction and wrinkling of the trousers legs at and slightly above the upper end of the cuff will be obviated. A A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described which is of simplified construction and is adapted to 4be applied to a. pressing machine of ordinary construction without any extensive changes, if an being required in the construction of the atter, and with-Y indicated by full lines.

-area toward theirlower ends.

out interfering in any way with the operation of the pressing machine in the usual manner.

`Other objects and advantages will be apparent'from the following description, considered in conjunction with the accompanyy Figure 2 is a front view o the structure 60- exhibited in Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the structure shown in the preceding views, the pressing position of the top leaf of the pressing machine beinfr indicatedby the dotted lines andthe position of the attachment at that time also being indicated by dotted lines, the s raised or inactive positions of the upper pressing leaf and of the' attachment being As is well known, the legs of trousers usually taper and decrease in cross sectional In consequence, when the lower end portions of the trousers legs are turned up to provide cuffs, the overlapping upturned portion is of less area at its upper end than at its lower end and therefore tends to constrict the trousers leg at the upper end of the cuff', making the cuff unsightly in appearance and causing 30 wrinkling 'of the trousers' leg for a considerable distance up the trousers leg. This wrinkling of the trousers leg cannot be en- `4tirely eliminated by pressing and heretofore, it has been necessary to take in the trousers leg at the sides in order to prevent wrinkling and constriction of .the trousers leg when the lower-end portion thereof is turned up to'form a cuff.

When aV pressing machine of ordinary con- 9o struction is equipped with the invention, the

-lower end portions of the trousers legs can be stretched at the time the trousers legs are pressed so that wrinkling and constrictionof the trousers legs at'theupper ends es of the cuffs are precluded without there being any necessity of'making changes in the f trousers legs.

The invention comprises a pair of Istretching and shaping tongues 1 connected and held in parallel relation by a connecting v strip 2. The tongues 1' and the connecting strip 2 preferably are integral portions of a single sheet of any suitable material possessing inherent resiliency, such as spring steel, bronze, brass or otherspring metal.

Each of (the tongues 1 has a relatively wide end portion 3 which extends approximately one-third of the length -.of the A tongues. Lateral shoulders as at 4'thus are defined at the juncture of the relatively wide end portions 3 of eacli tongue with the remaining portion of the tongue. The width of tlie connecting portion 2 preferably isapproximately the same as the length of the relatively Wide portions 3 and the connecting portion 2 is merged'at its ends into the adjacent sides of the relatively wide end portions 3.

The remaining portion of each tongue is uniform in width from its juncture with the relatively wide end portion 3-for approximately half the length of the remaining portion of the tongue, as indicated at 5, and

.then tapers in width for the remainder of the. length thereof, as indicated at 6. With this arrangement, the side edges of the portion 5 of each tongue will be parallel while the side edges of theend portion 6 will converge slightly from the juncture of the portion 6 with the portion 5 toward the ad ja- .cent or narrower end of the tongue.

Each tongue.'is arched or bowed u p- 'wardly transversely thereof and is regularly convexo-concave in cross section throughout its length, Vas best seen in Figure 2L The sideedges of the portions 5, 6 of each tongue are beveled for inclined upwardly and outwardly from the lower face of the tongue to theupper face thereof as indicated at 7 for a pur-l pose to be presently described.

A pressing machine of a well known. and ordinary type'of construction is partially '.i1- lustrated in the drawing and isidesignatedI generally 8. This pressing machine includes a lower leaf or bed 9 upon which the garment which is to beI pressed is placed, and an upper or presser leaf 10 which is carried by a lever 11 and `is movable to and from position to rest liatwise upon the lower leaf g9 and thus to cooperate with the lower leaf 9 to press a garment that has been placed onk the lower leaf. The lever 11' is of the usual forked type and is fulcrumed intermediate its length, as at 11, on the axle 11". of the pressing machine. The axle 11h is supported by the frame members- 11. A rockshaft 12 is supported by front extensions `16 on the membersy 11c of' the frame structure of the' 'pressing machine 8. A tension s ring 13 is attached at-one end to an upstan ing 'eye 13a on the rock shaft 12 and is attached at its other endlto an upstanding arm 13h which is rigid with the lever 11 and is located rearwardlyof the axle 11".` l

The unit which comprises the pair of tongues 1 and the connecting strip 2 is disposed between the lower leaf 9 and the upper leaf 10 so that the convexly curved faces of the tongues 1 will be uppermost and the side edges of each of the tongues 1 will be out of contact with the upper face of the lower leaf 9 when the tongue is in raised position as shown in full lines `in Figure 3. This Iunit will be supported between the leaves 9 and 10 of the pressing machine in*J the position just described through the agency of arms 14 which are rigidly coni nected at their reaward ends to the rock shaft 12 and are secured adjacent to their front ends to the enlarged end portions 3 of the tongues ofthe attachment.

From the foregoingV description of the various parts' of the device, the operation of the portions 4 of each tongue is less than the width of the lower end portion of a trousers leg, the lower end portion of the trousers leg may be quickly and conveniently plaoedon the tongue in the position mentioned. When the lever 11 is operated in such manner as to cause movement of the up er leafl 10 downward toward the lower leaf) 9, the rock shaft 12 will be permitted :to rock in the direction required to causel the unit 1-2-1 to be moved downward also toward ibo the lower leaf 9. The upper leaf 10 wi11 force the unit 1'-2-1 downward toward the lower leaf'9 against the action of the spring 13. The side edgesof the tongues will be j Vmoved into contact withthe upper face of 'the leaf 9 at approximately the same time the upper leaf 10 pis moved into contact with the upper faces ofthe tongues 1. Further downwardA movement of the upper leaf 10 and continued rocking of the shaft 12 will .cause the tongues 1 to be flattened out so thatlthe effective width of the tongues will be increased to an extent suii ient to cause stretching of the overlapping/ ower end or cuff portions of the trousers legs. f This stretching of the lowerend portion of the trousers legs will take placelcoincidently with the pressing o f such portions of the trousers legs and as a result, the ,pressed lower ends or cuff portions of the trousers legs will be uniform in width throughout their length and wrinkling, kinking or constriction omf thelower end portions of the trousers'legs at th: lower ends thereof and particularly at or adjacent to the upper edge of the cuffs thereon will be obviated. Since the side edges -of the portions '5, 6 'of the tongues are lbeveled in the manner described, these portions of each tongue will contact at their 'sides with the portion of a trousers leg thereon along substantially straight single lines so that thelines of contact of each tongue with the trousers portion thereon will coincide with the crease lines resulting from the pressing of the trousers leg.

The laterally expanding tongues will engage nvith-the portions of the trousers legs thereon to prevent slipping or movement of the trousers legs on the lower leaf' 9 when Ltorily pressuieJ is applied on the trousers legs by the upper leaf 10. Therefore, the cuffs lof trousersI pressed through the use of a pressing machine equipped with the invention will be uniform in length at lall points therearound. The cuffs of trousers pressed by means of an ordinary pressing machine withoutthe use of my attachment are likely to have the sides thereof of different lengths since the downwardly moving upper leaf will push the upper side of an upturned overlapping portion of the cuff downward as the upper leaf of the pressing machine moves to pressing position in respect t-o the lower leaf so that one side of the cuff will be4 longer' than the other side thereof when the -pressing has been accomplished.

`When the lever 1l has been manipulated to move the upper leaf 10 upwardly out of contact with the attachment, the inherent resiliency of the material of which the tongues 1 are composed will cause the tongues to assume the arched or upwardly bowed shape indicated by the full lines in the drawings and the springr 13 will act to swing the unit 1-2-1 upwardly from the lower pressing leaf. The trousers legs then may bereadily removed from position on the tongues. e

-It will be obviousthat an economy in time and labor will beeifected when a pressing machine is equipped with my invention since with the use of the attachment, trousers legs can be pressed quickly, satisfacand in ,a uniform manrier with `but very little skill, ifany, being required on the part of the operator. v

Obviously, my invention is susceptible of embodiment in forms` other than that illustrated in the accompanying drawings and I therefore consider as my own all modifications and adaptations of the form of the device herein described which fairly fall withinthe scope of the appended claims. For example, the tongues may bel apertured as at 15, for the vpassage of steam should the invention be used with a' pressing machine.

that admits-steam between the presser leaves from the bottom.

I claim 1. In a pressing of .relatively movable cooperative presser leaves,- a tongue supported between saidy presser leaves, said tongue being insertable machine lhaving a pair 1n the lower end of a trousers leg, said tongue being transversely and resiliently bowed and being adapted to be 'flattened out vby pressure applied thereon by .said lpresser leaves to effect stretching of said overlapping portion of the trousers leg.

supported between said leaves to move subv stantially in unison with one of said leaves against the other leaf, said tongue being made of light gauge material possessing inherent resiliency and being substantially arcuate in cross sectional contour, said tongue comprising a relatively wideend portlon,

a second end portion tapering in width toward its outer end and being of less width at its inner end than the first named end portionand an intermediate portion merging said end portions one into the other, the side edges of said intermediate portion being parallel.

3. The combination with a pressing machine having a pair of cooperative relatively movable presser leaves for pressing out' an article placed therebetween, a tongue supported betweensaid leaves to move substantially in unison with one of said leaves against the other leaf, said tongue being made of light gauge material possessing inherent'resiliency and being substantially arcuate in cross sectional contour, said tongue comprising a relatively wide end portion, a second end portion tapering in width toward its outer end and being of less width at its inner en'd than the first named end portion and an intermediate portion merging said end portions one into the other, th'c side edges o said intermediate portion being parallel, andv being beveled upwardly and outwardly from the lower face of the tongue to the upper face thereof.l

4. The comblnation with a pressing machine having a fixed lower leaf, an upper leaf movable to'and from position to engage with the llower leaf and to cooperate with the latter to press an article placed therebetween and means for operating the upper leaf, a unit positioned between said leaves adjacent to said lower leaf, and means for attaching said unit to the operating means -for said upper leaf to permit said -unit and said upper leaf to be moved against said lower leaf at the same time', said unit comprising a pair of parallel tongues having connecting strips merging the tongues one into' the other atthe inner ends thereof, each of said tongues being made of a mal. versely thereof.

` 5. In a pressing machine having a pairV of" relatively movable coo erative, presser leaves, a tongue adapted to e supported between said presser leaves, said tongue belng insertable in the lower end of a. trousersJ L leg, being transverselv bowed and adapted to be flattened out by pressure ap lied thereon b said presser leaves, and eing apen ture for the pur ose described.

JPOSHUA TEDFORD 

